PROFILE COUNTER
It’s rare that a fresh face appears on the fashion scene and makes the type of immediate impact on the industry as Martin Miller has. With a rugged, yet suave appeal, a surplus of confidence and the innate ability to command attention at every show, Miller has quickly established himself as a formidable presence in the burgeoning fashion industry in Chicago and beyond.
While he had been courted for years by designers, promoters and photographers to try his hand at modeling, it wasn’t until the Aurora, IL native graduated from Northern Illinois University in 2003 and was unable to find a job that he began to seriously consider the offers that he had been receiving. Though he had a degree in computer science, an unkind job market forced Miller to explore other options, a decision that would prove to be a smart one.
After consulting industry professionals, Miller knew just how he was going to make his mark on the fashion world. Making a name for himself first through networking with those with their finger on the pulse of the industry, Miller soon found himself flooded with offers from various designers all wanting him to rock their brands. After several smaller appearances, Miller’s breakout performance at The Fashion Geek fashion show at Chicago’s elite Club 720 in March of 2007 catapulted him from a fresh faced newbie to an in-demand name on the lips of virtually everyone in Chicago’s fashion scene.
He then went on to follow that show by being a featured model in Power 92.3’s “Remix The Runway†at the Arie Crown Theatre, sharing the stage with some of R&B’s biggest names like Ciara, Trey Songz, Lloyd and Ne-Yo. Continuing to build upon his success, Miller has also been prominently featured in shows including Midnight Model Madness and Fashion Celebrity Star Night w/ Rich Boy at Chicago’s premiere night spot, Club Wet, as well as shows for DTLR, one of Chicago’s most notable urban outfitters.
"I'm like an all-purpose model. I don’t really think I can be type-casted right now. I want to be on billboards, on the runway in Paris…I want to do big things," explains Miller. Not to be confined as a local talent, Miller has also strolled down runways in other cities like Atlanta, Miami and New York, modeling brands like Sean John, Enyce, LRG, Akademiks and Phat Farm.
“The runway is an adrenaline rush for me by itself,†says Miller. And though he has carved out a niche on the catwalk, he is also expanding his portfolio to include both print ads as well as acting. Having sifted through scripts for the past year, Miller is not content with just being a pretty face and is looking for the perfect role in which to showcase his acting chops. Currently in talks with a major designer to be a part of their Spring 2008 ad campaign, people would be smart to watch for Miller to soon be appearing on both magazine pages as well as the big screen.
Having worked with several top photographers including Marcus Fizer with FEMI Photography, Parrish Lewis and Errisson Lawrence, Miller has amassed an impressive body of photos that will soon be available via his own website, MartinVMiller.com, which is set to launch soon. With a versatility rarely seen amongst today’s modeling talent and aspirations to go above and beyond merely the fashion realm, Martin Miller is poised to become the next renaissance man in the entertainment business.
Written by Anthony Roberts
Journalist/radio personality
July 2007
